Rag-engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Nov. 8,1881.

A. 0. RICE.

RAG ENGINE.

(No Model.)

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Wfimmed (No ModeJ. 2 Sheets-Sheet A; 0. RICE.

. RAG ENGINE. V No. 249,257. Patented Nov. 8,1881.

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N. PETERS. Phulohlhognphur. nnnnnnnnnnn D.

.UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

ALVA 0. R ce, on HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAG-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 249,257, dated November 8, 1881.-

' Application filed Angust17, 1881. (No model.)

1 yoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachnsetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rag-Engines, of which the following is a specification and description.

The object of my invention is to construct a rag-engine so that the beating-cylinder may be easily adjusted vertically to any desired point of proximity to the fixed plates or knives beneath it and parallel thereto by the manipulation of a single shaft,.and I accomplish this by the mechanism substantially as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a side view of a rag-engine made according to my invention. Fig. II is a plan view of the bearing-block containing the journal-box in which them-ain shaft revolves. Fig. III isa vertical section of the same at line B. Fig. IV is a vertical section through the wormpinion and operating or lifting cam at line A of Fig. I. Fig. V is a side view of the operating or'lifting cam. Fig. VI is a transverse section through the'vat, showing an end view of the engine; and FigrVIl is a vertical trans verse section through one end, of the frame, showing two small friction-rolls secured therein to take the side bearing of one of the bearingblocks. a

In the drawings, 11 represents the two uprights, forming a frame with a rectangular opening, as 30, in the lower portion of each, in which is fitted to slide vertically a block,

as 13, provided with suitable guide-flanges to keep it in its proper vertical position, and a journal-box, as 14:, is swiveled in each block, preferably by protuberances, as 25, resting in recesses, as 26, whereby the journal-box may adapt itself to any irregularity in the movement of the shaft independently of the block.

Themiddle portion of each upright 11 is preferably cast solid, and a shaft, as 17, has its bearings at the upper part of this solid portion of the frame, as shown at 27 in Figs. IV and VI, and this shaft may also have a hearing in the upper end of a steadyframe, as 28, at any desired point between the uprights 11.

A rectangular opening, as 31, is made in the upper end of each upright 11, and in each said opening is fitted to slide freely a block, as 10, similar in form to thelower block, 13, in which I pivot a roll, as 8, and I secure a cam, as 7- whose outline is shown in Fig. Vfirnnly to the shaft 17 at a point directly beneath each roll 8, with the periphery of the roll bearing upon the periphery of the cam.

The upper ends of two or more rods, as 9,

are secured firmly in each upper block, 10, and these rods extend down and their lower ends are firmly secured to or in the block 13, as shown in Fig. I.'

It will thus be seen that the upper and lower blocks in each upright are firmly and securely connected by the rods 9, and that,bothblocks upon the cam 7 in each upright, and as these two cams, one beneath the block 10 in each upright,are fixed to the shaft 17 in a position 00- incident with each other, it is evident that ifthe shaft 17 and its cams 7 be revolved, the cams will operate to raise or lower both blocks 10and 13 in each upright to precisely the same degree, or exactly the same distance, accordin g as the shaft 17 is revolved in one direction or the other. i

The main shaft 12 of the engine (the latter being of the ordinary construction) is hung or has its bearings at each end in the boxes 14, whichrest upon or are swiveled in the blocks 13. The shaft 17 projects at one end through the upright 11, and upon this projecting end I firmly secure a worm pinion or gear, as 6; and in suitable bearings bolted to the upright at that end I secure a horizontal shaft, as 4, provided with a worm, as 5, to engage with said pinion or gear, said horizontal shaft 4 being connected by a bevel-gear, as 3, with a vertical shaft, as 1, provided with a hand wheel or winch, as 2, by which to turn it. By turning the hand-wheel in one direction the shaft 17, with the cams thereon, is made to revolve in one direction through the medium of the beveled and worm gears, and the cams 7, by rotatin g against the periphery of the rolls 8 in the blocks 10, operate to raise the latter, together with the lower blocks, 13, and with them the by turning the, hand-wheel in the opposite direction the cylinder, with the shaft 12, isv lowered. The cylinder being provided with knives which revolve past stationary knives or plates fixed in the bed beneath the cylinder, it is evident that by this device for raising or lowering the cylinder the knives at each end of the cylinder will be moved farther from or nearer to the fixed knives, precisely alike, and the cylinder will always remain perfectly parallel with the bed,whether in a more or less elevated position. It is also evident that this operation of elevating or depressing the cylinder may be performed much more quickly than by the use of the ordinary winch at each end of the shaft,

or on each side of the vat, and much more accurately than by such use of two winches, and the adjustment of the cylinder to the stationary knives may be made absolutely parallel and perfect, and very easily.

As the belt which is connected with the pulley 32 to drive the main shaft 12 and the cylinder usually runs from a driving pulley and shaft at nearly the same height, and would naturally draw the shaft 12 and the block 13, which supports the shaft, against the inside of the frame in-a lateral direction, I pivot two friction-rolls, as 18, into the frame in such manner that the periphery of the rolls may just be flush with the bearing end of the block 13 in that end of the frame nearest the pulley 32, as shown in Fig. VIII and in dotted lines in Figs. I and VI, so that the end of the block may bear against said rolls in moving up or down, and much of the friction be removed thereby.

It is evidentthat the single horizontal shaft 17, which I denominate the operating-shaft, maybe rotated by any other suitable'and equivalentmechanism of sufficient power,which will the supporting-frame, of an operating-shaft having its bearings in said frame, two operating-cams secured to said shaft, one at each end, two blocks adapted to move vertically in eachv end of said frame, one above each cam and supported thereby, and one below each cam, and both blocks rigidly connected by suitable rods or connecting medium, and the lower blocks adapted for the bearings of the main shaft to which the rag cylinder is secured, whereby the main shaft and cylinder may be adjusted vertically with reference to the bed beneath by the rotation of said operating-shaft and cams, substantially as described.

. 2. In a rag-engine, the combination, with the supporting frame, of two bearing-blocks adapted to have afree vertical movement, one in each end of the frame, and each supported by a vertically-movable block resting upon a cam secured to the operating-shaft, and a selfadjusting journal-box swiveled in each bearing-block for the bearing of the main shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a rag-engine, the combination, with the supporting-frame, of two bearing-blocks adapted to receive the main cylinder-shaft and to have a free vertical movement, one in each end of the frame, an operating-shaft having its bearin gs in said frame and provided with camssupporting and adapted to operate two blocks above said. cams rigidly connected with said bearing-blocks, a gear or toothed wheel secured to said operating-shaft, and a screw or worm adapted to be operated in suitable bearings and engaging with said gear or toothed wheel, whereby said operatin g-shaftis rotated in either direction to raise or depress said bearing-blocks and the main cylinder-shaft resting therein, substantially as describet ALVA 0. RICE.

Witnesses:

'1. A. (loans,

0. S. HURLBU'r. 

